Former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, still considered by some fighters to be the greatest of all time in the 145-pound weight class, had a long and noteworthy career inside the Octagon, but one “Junior” moment stands above all others.
At least for UFC President Dana White.
“I think the fight was in Rio when he jumped out of the Octagon and jumped into the crowd, and the crowd was carrying him around, and the place was going nuts,” White told reporters at the “Contender Series” post-fight press conference (transcribed by MMA Junkie). “It’s one of my favorite Jose Aldo moments.”
Watch video of his epic celebration right here.
“This will always be his house,” White continued. “I told him, ‘If you ever need anything here or you ever want to go to an event, this is always your house.’ This is a guy that, from the WEC to the UFC, helped build the sport, this brand and Brazil for us. So we love him, and we always will. He’s made a great life for himself down there, too, and done some great things and made a lot of money, and I couldn’t be happier for him and his family.”
The recently-released Aldo turned 36 earlier this month.
While “Junior” will no longer be competing for UFC, the Brazilian is expected to resume his combat sports career in the “sweet science,” following in the footsteps of fellow UFC export Anderson Silva. Nothing is official at this time, but Aldo is likely to resurface at some point in early 2023, if not sooner.